Posted on 08/31/2015 6:25:18 PM PDT by Nachum
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus wants to torpedo all the talk about a shrinking U.S. battle fleet.
Republican presidential candidates are pushing a “narrative,” Mabus said, that President Barack Obama has weakened the military and, in particular, the Navy, at a time of growing demands on American power around the world. But in an interview with POLITICO, Mabus fired a salvo at critics he said don’t know what they’re talking about.
“I have this funny thing about facts,” he laughed in his office on the Pentagon’s E-Ring, surrounded by paintings of classic warships. “I like to get facts into the equation.”
Numbers aren’t the only way to measure seapower, Mabus said — a point Obama famously made to Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential debate. But even a simple count of the number of ships in service today — and, Mabus stressed, under contract — reveals that the Navy is growing, not shrinking.
The Navy has ordered some 70 ships since Mabus came to Washington in 2009, which, accounting for retirements of ships in the coming years, puts the fleet on track to grow to more than 300 and, if Congress cooperates, potentially far beyond that.
If all goes as hoped, the Navy will stabilize at a fleet of 308, Mabus said: “That’s the number of ships we need to do every mission we’ve got.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
I wonder what this bozo did to serve only 2 years in the Navy. Shoot himself in the ass with an M-79 grenade launcher like that other ‘RAT Navy guy who spent three months in Nam?
Mabus served two years in the Navy reserves...he was more than likely a LTJG...A “gopher” for career line officers...
The picture is disgusting. Not even in Jimmy Carter's Tenure did the flight decks look like Shanty Town. Why aren't they in the yards? Anyone who doesn't see a future Pearl Harbor in that picture is blind. Oh but it's worse one picture has five there in numerical order. SEC of Def, SECNAV, and CNO, all should be fired for allowing this. That picture is only one carrier short of the entire East Coast carrier assets or half the carrier fleet of the entire Navy.
Pier 10 I think it is should not be used for carriers. Really it's not that protected even from weather. I saw a straight line front come across from Hampton Roads that would have put most ships but the Pier 12 ones out in the channel and it did indeed happen back in the late 1970's I remember seeing it.
The ships are sitting there because they are not being put underway. These are just part of the assets in that area. There is Little Creek Amphib Base, Newport News Yards, and Norfolk Naval Shipyards all within 15 miles {Less air wise} of each other.
More comforting news? OK the International Piers are about two miles past the carriers. IOW all foreign freighters pass the carriers. I'm not giving away secrets. You can get on I-64 and see the carriers plain as day. The DOD and Navy screwed up royally by not buying very huge chunks of land to keep development out and away from the bases. They used to have at least one other carrier berth at Mayport Florida it's gone now from what I hear. At least one carrier used to be home ported there. This is a picture of arrogance and stupidity. The huge buildings in the top of the page? Ah shucks it ain't nothing. Just the East Coast Naval Supply Center.
Gay Ray fires back?
And Gabby Giffords.
I se what appear to be 5 carriers, 3 LPHs and what looks like an LPD, none seeming ready for sea. Some choice target.
It's pretty obvious this brown-noser isn't planning on any wartime attrition. It must be nice to live in a world populated by unicorns.
the 2nd one from the bottom looks like a party ship...
We have 11 aircraft carriers total Navy wide all are now Nukes dependent upon services in the Norfolk area thanks to closures. Yes it would be a very choice target indeed. Across the river is the only aircraft carrier builder left out of four we once had. Only Norfolk Naval Shipyards and Newport News Shipbuilding can service the carriers on the east coast and only Newport News can do the CVN refuels for east or west coast.
One of the carriers Enterprise was likely heading to Newport News for decommissioning. Another likely being readied for refueling a five year process IIRC. If true neither should have been there they should have either been up at Portsmouth at Norfolk Yards or in Newport News. It makes a huge difference in such things as storms as well as defense.
Yes and I was just thinking the same thing.
5 is Peleliu I think. Used to work with a retired Sgt. Major who vacationed at that place while the Japanese Army was in residence.
Do they remove the island when doing the refueling?
I wonder what this bozo did to serve only 2 years in the Navy.
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Hey, chopper guy, I joined the USNAR when a Sr. in high school in ‘59 at age 17. It was called the 2x4 program; 2 yrs. active and 4 yrs. reserve. ...Served first year in my VP squadron (Weekend Warrior) and went active one year later as an E-2. ....Served active two years on a CVA in catapults and then returned home to serve in my VP squadron.
All enlistment contracts didn’t require more active duty years at that time, which was pre-Viet Nam.
They used to have at least one other carrier berth at Mayport Florida it’s gone now from what I hear. At least one carrier used to be home ported there.
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Mayport was my ship’s home port. Naples was our Med home port. CVA-42, FDR.
Laughed? Looks like he's channeling "Chuckles Biden" - perhaps the derangement is contagious....
ALWAYS follow the money. Good catch!
Must be that new-fangled rithmatic?
Yeah, they have built two new battle groups around the USS Arizona and the USS Constitution.
Both are in commission. Their supporting ships are Boston Whalers.
That pic scares the hell out of me. It stinks of bad management. Why the hell would you put som many of an extremely valuable and important asset in such close proximity? We've seen this movie before.
Saratoga was the other Mayport carrier. I saw the FDR in Portsmouth I think in early 1977 when we were there for a three month stint.
Actually back in 1980 they were going to move America's homeport from NORVA down to Mayport after her 1980 overhaul upon return from the 1981 deployment. Those orders got rescinded when Reagan took office I'm guessing because she never changed homeport.
I'm not sure how they do it to be honest. The reactors are down in the bottom. When they build a conventional or a Nuke they lay the keel {the bottom of the hull} and basically build the ship around the propulsion plant. To be honest I never heard of a boiler change out on any of the CV's especially after going to the 1200 PSI boilers from Saratoga on.
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